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Black Bean Humus

Posted May 4, 2013 By Sandy

We are big black bean fans (I suppose that is partly because we are allergic to some of the other beans).  I use black beans in lots of my recipes, but none of my recipes are as famous as my husband’s black bean humus.

When Malcolm makes this recipe for potlucks, it is usually a huge success.  We have learned to print off copies of the recipe before we head out the door — because we get so many requests.

Malcolm’s Famous Black Bean Humus Recipe!

Black Beans

In Vitamix, add:
2/3 cup sesame seeds
½ cup first cold pressed olive oil
2/3 cup lemon (or lime) juice

Start SLOW to prevent splashing, build VERY slowly, up to full speed. (Makes a tahini-like mush, or may substitute ½ cup tahini instead of seeds)

Add Spices:
1 slightly rounded tsp Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 T Oregon Spice salsa seasoning (available from OregonSpice.com or use any taco or salsa seasoning available)

Add:
2 cups cooked black beans or 1 can, undrained or may drain and rinse to reduce sodium
2 cups cooked garbanzos (chickpeas) or 1 can, DRAIN and RINSE

3-6 cloves garlic (peeled)
1 large handful (1/3 cup) pitted black olives
½ large or 1 medium onion, peeled (may also use or substitute 6 green onions and/or 4″ of large leek)

Add up to 1 cup water, just enough to turn the Vitamix (only need ½ cup water, if used un-drained black beans)

Recommended:
1 or 2 jalapenos, or ¼ cup canned jalapeno slices, or cayenne to taste

Optional variations, add to taste:
Cilantro, Basil, Green Olives, etc.

Blend well in Vitamix, transfer to container(s), refrigerate – keeps up to 2 weeks.

Great as appetizer! Serve with chips, pita bread, tortillas, bread or crackers!!

Black beans are really good for you!  They are our ‘go to’ bean for most Mexican dishes as well as this humus recipe.

For more black bean humus recipes, check out my mini website:

Easy Nutritious Vegan Black Bean Humus Recipes

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Gluten Free Pasta Salad

Posted April 27, 2013 By Sandy

Saturdays are my days to be different and creative (it is also my day for laundry and house cleaning, but I won’t be talking about that!!).  With the cares of business gone for the day, it gives me time to focus on other things — like new recipes to create!

As most of you already know, I am the ‘Salad Queen’.  For me, salads mix up the best of all worlds:  raw veggies.  My new Gluten Free Pasta Salad is full of some of my favorite veggies!

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Gluten Free Pasta Salad

Gluten Free Pasta Salad

Ingredients

    Salad
  • 2 cups cooked Gluten Free pasta, any small pasta will work
  • 2 cups chopped broccoli
  • 1-2 grated carrots
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup small sprouts, like broccoli, clover or alfalfa
    • Dressing
  • 1 cup Vegenaize
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
  • 1 Tbps olive oil
  • Herbal seasonings
  • All season salt
  • Celery seeds
  • Dill

Instructions

  1. Mixed cooked and cooled pasta with veggies and set aside.
  2. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a pint jar and shake well.
  3. Pour dressing over veggies -- just enough to coat all the ingredients.
  4. Serve!
https://glutenfreeveganliving.com/gluten-free-pasta-salad-4/

Once again, there are lots of variations available for this recipe.  For example, my husband added jalapenos and cheese (he is not vegan!) to his portion.

Some other veggies you could use in this recipe could be:

  • Bell pepper
  • Green onions
  • Olives
  • Caulflower
  • Raisins

What other ingredients would you try in this salad?

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Spring Veggie Salad

Posted April 13, 2013 By Sandy

Raw salads are the best way to eat veggies, so, today, I am sharing of my favorite raw salads: Spring Veggie Salad.  One of the reasons I like it so much is because you can alter it based on the veggies you have on hand at the time.  Or you can add or subtract any of your favorite (or not so favorite) vegetables.  Could probably also call this the End of the Summer Veggies Salad!!

The recipe below lists the veggies I used — because that is what I had in my refrigerator at the time.

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Spring Veggie Salad

Spring Veggie Salad

Ingredients

    Raw Salad Ingredients:
  • 1 cup broccoli, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup asparagus, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas, cut in half
  • 3/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup zucchini, sliced and cut in half
  • 3/4 cup carrots, sliced
  • 1 large tomato, cut into small chunks
  • 3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
    • For the dressing:
  • 3/4 cup gourmet Italian (or apple cider) vinegar
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup Xylitol (or your favorite sweetener)

Instructions

  1. Chop all the veggies and place in a large bowl with a tight fitting lid.
  2. Mix vinegar, oil and sugar into a microwavable bowl, and microwave for 2-3 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved. Allow dressing to cool.
  3. Mix dressing into bowl of veggies, seal the bowl and gently shake the bowl to mix the dressing into the veggies.
  4. You can serve at once or allow to marinade in the refrigerator to mix the flavors.
https://glutenfreeveganliving.com/spring-veggie-salad/

Quantities of the veggies can be altered according to your tastes or veggies you have on hand.

I took this salad to a church potluck and it was a huge hit (actually, I was hoping to have some leftovers to take home, but they finished it off!!).

Can you think of substitutes for this recipe that would make it even better?  How about adding avocados?   You can also try some of the following:

  • Green onions
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Green or wax beans
  • Kohlrobi
  • Beets
  • Summer squash
  • Peas
  • Radishes
  • Baby corn
  • Artichoke hearts
  • ??????
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Fajitas — Gluten Free Vegan Style

Posted March 30, 2013 By Sandy

Fajitas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes (who am I kidding, MEXICAN style food is ALWAYS my favorite dishes!!)  Mexican food is so easy to adjust to Gluten Free Vegan Style …. and I love the Mexican flavors:  avocados, tomatoes, chilli peppers (not too strong, please!), black olves and black beans ….. and now that Gluten Free tortillas are available, I am in heaven!!

My husband and I have a Mexican dish at least once a week.  This week I fixed Fajitas.  Here is my quick and easy recipe:

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Fajitas — Gluten Free Vegan Style

Fajitas — Gluten Free Vegan Style

Ingredients

  • 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 medium onion, cut in strips
  • 1 medium to large bell pepper, cut in strips
  • 2 large portabello mushrooms, cut in strips (you can use any sliced mushrooms, but portabellos are the best!)
  • 2 roma tomatoes, cut in strips
  • 1-2 tsps of salsa seasoning (or your favorite Mexican seasoning)
  • Gluten free 'flour' style tortillas
  • Toppings: vegenaize, guacamole, fresh cilantro, salsa or picanta sauce

Instructions

  1. Melt coconut oil in large skillet or Wok style pan.
  2. Add onions and peppers and cook until veggies begin to limp.
  3. Add mushrooms and cook until veggies are soft but not cooked all the way through
  4. Add seasoning and tomatoes and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
  5. In the meantime, warm the tortilla in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds or fry briefly until pliable.
  6. Add veggies and toppings.
https://glutenfreeveganliving.com/fajitas-gluten-free-vegan-style/

Of course, there are many variation to this recipe.  Other options are:

  • Jalapeno or habenero peppers is you like your Fajitas hot
  • A mix of red, green and/or yellow bell peppers
  • Corn or beans to the veggies
  • Top with olives and avocado slices
  • Add vegan cheese and/or sour cream

My favorite Gluten Free ‘flour’ tortillas are made by Rudi, but any GF tortilla will work including listed below.  (Also, some seasoning suggestion as well):

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Vegan Taco Salad

Posted March 23, 2013 By Sandy

Vegan Taco Salad is one of my favorite salads — and favorite Mexican style dish.  This dish is high in protein making it very fulling as well as delicious.

I have seen taco salads make in numerous different ways, but most contained either meat or flour tortilla sheet — which, of course will not do!  After some experimenting, I have developed the following recipe:

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Vegan Taco Salad

Vegan Taco Salad

Ingredients

  • Mixed Lettuce Greens
  • Several cilantro leaves, stems removed
  • 1 small Roma tomato, chopped
  • Small can of sliced black olives
  • 1/2 avocado, cut in small cubes
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup cooked black beans
  • 1/4 cup bell pepper, optional
  • 1 green onion, optional
  • 1/4 cup cooked corn, optional
  • Several corn chips, crushed into smaller pieces
  • Ranch style dressing
  • Picanta or taco sauce

Instructions

  1. Shred lettuce and cilantro into serving bowl or plate.
  2. Add remaining vegetables and beans.
  3. Pour dressing and sauce over the salad.
  4. Add crushed corn chips.
https://glutenfreeveganliving.com/vegan-taco-salad/

If you like your salads spicy, add some salasa seasoning.

If you like heat in your salads, add some chopped jalapeno peppers.

For the salad dressing, I make my own.  Here is my special recipe:

Fill a pint jar 2/3 to 3/4 full of grapeseed Vegenaise
Add 1-2 Tablespoons of extra virgin Olive Oil
Add 1-2 Tablespoons of coconut aminos
Add your favorite seasoning (I often use a garlic herb seasoning)

Shake jar well.  
If the dressing is too thick, add a tablespoon of two of water.

You could also add taco sauce to this salad dressing in place of the coconut aminos.

 

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Veggie Stir Fry

Posted March 16, 2013 By Sandy

Becoming Vegan was pretty easy for me.  I have always loved vegetables — I was one of those strange kids would would rather eat a salad than most anything else.  As an adult, I have extended my menu beyond the salad into Veggie Stir Fry amongst other veggie dishes.

Veggie Stir Fry is easy to make and does not need any special ingredients!  Usually, I just use what veggies I have on hand.  However, I will list my basic recipe:

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Veggie Stir Fry

Veggie Stir Fry

Ingredients

  • 1-2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 1/2 large onion, cut into strips
  • 1-2 potatoes, cut into rounds, and cut in half again
  • 1/2 sweet potato or yam (a whole one if they are small)
  • 1-2 carrots, sliced
  • 1-2 stalks of celery, cut up with leaves included
  • 1/2 zucchini, sliced

Instructions

  1. Heat coconut oil in wok or large fry pan.
  2. Add ingredients in order list, putting zucchini aside.
  3. Stir on medium high heat for a couple minutes while you add all the veggies
  4. Turn heat down to medium low and cover for about 7 minutes
  5. Stir well and add zucchini, cover and cook another five minutes
  6. Uncover and cook until veggies are done to your liking and serve!
https://glutenfreeveganliving.com/veggie-stir-fry/

This recipe is very versatile because you can add any vegetables you have in your refrigerator and pantry.  Some of the other veggies I have used:

  • Sliced Mushooms
  • Summer squash
  • Bell Peppers
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • ??????

Sometimes, I have even added pre-cooked beans and/or lentils to add more protein.

Now, how is that for an easy nutritious dish?

 

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Minestrone Soup – Gluten Free and Vegan

Posted January 15, 2013 By Sandy

Vegetable type soups have always been my favorite – even when I was a little girl!  The old standby, Chicken Noodle soup, was good when I was sick, but veggie soups were my favorite.

When I got older, I graduated from the ‘Campbell’ soups to Healthy Choice soups and I loved Minestrone.  Naturally, when I became Gluten Free and Vegan, I went to work to find a Minestrone soup that worked for my new lifestyle — and one that tasted good.

After a few tries, I came up with the following recipe — thick enough to eat with a fork!:

Minestone Soup

Minestrone Soup – Gluten Free and Vegan

Recipe Type: Soup
Author: Sandy Dell
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • ½ cup celery, chopped
  • 3/4 cup zucchini, sliced
  • ½ cup onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 cup vegetable bouillon or liquid
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can kidney or red beans
  • 1 can white beans
  • 1 can garbanzo beans
  • 1 – 14 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup carrots, sliced
  • ½ cup marinara sauce
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or favorite mixed seasoning)
  • 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
  • ½ cups GF shell pasta
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in large kettle. Sauté garlic, onion, celery and zucchini until tender.
  2. Add bouillon, water, tomatoes, beans, carrots and spices. Bring soup to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Next add pasta, spinach and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Rather than add so many canned beans, I will often cook up a large batch of mixed beans (I keep several different types in my pantry) and freeze some of them for later use.  If you use this method, you will need 6 – 7 cups of cooked beans.

I have also tried this recipe with various other Gluten Free pasta.  Tastes good with any or all of them!

Of course, if you want a thinner soup, you can adjust the water accordingly.

Great soup to eat on a cold snowy day!

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Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes — My Favorite Recipe

Posted October 30, 2012 By Sandy

I have tried lots of Gluten Free Vegan Pancake recipes.  Some were interesting and some …. well, let’s just say, I never made them again.

Over the years, I have taken several different recipes and combined them together to make my own recipe.  Taking bits and pieces of each recipe to suit it to my tastes and nutritional requirements is actually a fun project!

When I developed this recipe, I started with the Apple Pancake recipe my mother used to make when I was younger.  I loved the tastes of apples in pancakes (or any kind of fruit in baked goods!).  Then I looked for Gluten Free ingredients and some extra tasty grains and seeds to add to the nutritional value.

Here is my recipe:

Gluten Free Vegan Apple Pancakes

Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Sandy Dell from GlutenFreeVeganLiving.com
Serves: 1 – 2
Ingredients
  • 1 medium apple, cored
  • 1 Tablespoon Chia/Salba seeds
  • 1/3 cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup (or more) water
  • 1/2 cup Gluten Free biscuit or pancake mix
  • 1/3 cup dry Gluten Free oats
  • Coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Put nuts and chia seeds in food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Remove and place into medium mixing bowl.
  2. Add apples to food processor and chop into small pieces
  3. Mix dry ingredients into nuts, seeds and apples. Add water and let the mixture sit for a few minutes while you warm the pan and melt the coconut oil.
  4. Pour batter (add more water if the mixture is too thick) into heated pan and cook 5 or so minutes until underside is a light brown.
  5. Flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
  6. Top with Coconut Nectar or Pure Maple Syrup

 

I would suppose you can substitute other fruit for the apple, but this is the way I like it best!!

 

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‘Putting Up’ Summer Fruit

Posted September 13, 2012 By Sandy

Late summer is a busy time of the year for us.  We get loads of fruit from our yard, our friends and the local Farmer’s Market.  We don’t grow a garden — there are too many deer and rabbits around here that would eat it all before we could harvest it!!

Over the last couple weeks, I have frozen a bunch of cherries from our yard, and some peaches from the orchard down the road.  Last week a good friend of ours gave us all the apples and plums we could get off her trees.  She told us the apple were marginal, but hoped we could do something with them.  So ….. we made Plumpple sauce, and it turned out great.

If you are adventurous and would like to try this sauce, here is the simple recipe:

  • Take your largest pot and put about a cup of water in the bottom of it.
  • Cut up the apples into smaller piece making sure to remove the bruises and bad spots.
  • Fill the pot about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
  • Next, cut the stones out of the plums (the hardest part) and add to the pot of apples.
  • Simmer for around 8 to 12 hours.
  • Run the whole pot of fruit through a Food Strainer and Sauce Maker (mine is a 30 year old Presto brand).
  • Return the strained fruit to the pot and simmer until it is the consistency of apple sauce — being careful to remember that it thickens as it cools down.
  • Spoon into pints or quarts, and process in water bath for about 25 minutes.

I ended up with six pints, one quart (for my friend who gave us the fruit) and another pint or so that I put in the refrigerator (it was gone within a day!).  And it was one of the best tasting sauces I have made yet!

Next, I will be drying Italian Plums (prunes).  Will be out in the yard picking very soon!

 

 

 

 

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Vegan Spaghetti

Posted August 2, 2012 By Sandy

Spaghetti was a comfort food while I was growing up.  Saturday night was always Spaghetti dinner night!!  My dad was a big tomato fan and loved tomato based dishes — and I inherited his love of tomatoes!

When I became a Gluten Free Vegan, I began experimenting with different ways to make one of my favorite dishes.  Much to my surprise, I found all kinds of way to make Vegan Spaghetti — most of my recipes taste better to me than my childhood memories!!

So here is my favorite Vegan Spaghetti Recipe:

Vegan Spaghetti Recipe

1 – 28 to 32 oz. jar of your favorite Marina sauce
1 – 16 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 to 1 1/2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
1/2 to full can of finely chopped black olives
1/2 cup finely chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped spinach or swiss chard
Onion and/or garlic, chopped finely, to taste
Oregano and/or Italian seasoning

Quinoa or rice spaghetti noodles, cooked

Directions

Add the Marina and tomatoes in large fry pan and cook on medium.  Add mushrooms, olives, zucchini, onions and/or garlic and seasoning.  Once the mixture starts to bubble, turn down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the spinach or swiss chard and cook and additional 10 minutes.  Serve over noodles.

The recipe is not exact.  We often add more mushrooms, depending on how many we have at the time.  Sometimes we leave out the zucchini.  I have occasionally added finely chopped celery.  And I use my food processor to chopped the veggies — just to make it quicker and easier!

If you more adventurous, here is another Vegan Spaghetti recipe using the zucchini as the noodles!!

Vegan Zucchini Spaghetti

Picture donated by Karen Borga

 

Use the same sauce listed above only omit the zucchini and the cooked noodles.

While you sauce is cooking, take one large or two small zucchini and spiralize them for your noddles.  If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can always shred them using a box grater or a madolin — but it is not as cool as spiralizing them!!

Spoon the sauce over the zucchini noodles and serve.  Or if you want them warm, toss them with the sauce.  No need to cook separately!

If you are interesting is buying a Spiralizer, check out the two recommended ones below.  Personally, we have one of each style and love using them!

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